Britain's Duchess Catherine has urged people to support children's hospices.
The 32-year-old duchess - who has 10-month-old son Prince George with husband Prince William - made a low-key visit to East Anglia's Children's Hospices' Treehouse (EACH) in Ipswich in her role of patron of the organisation during Children's Hospice Week this week, and met with volunteers and patients.
And Catherine said being patron allowed her to see how important the "remarkable" facilities are.
She said: "Around the clock support is crucial for children receiving palliative care. They and their families often need help every hour of every day, both in hospices and at home.
"As patron of EACH I have seen first-hand this remarkable and varied work and just how vital the support of staff and volunteers can be to the families of children with life limiting conditions.
"It has been wonderful to see the fantastic public support for Children's Hospice Week over the last few days.
"Please continue supporting your local children's hospice in whatever way you can."
Meanwhile, executives at EACH praised Catherine for being a "very active" patron of the organisation.
Graham Butland, chief executive of EACH, said: "As our Royal Patron, Her Royal Highness has really helped put children's hospice services in the UK at the forefront of people's minds and allowed us to demonstrate the full and flexible range of services families can benefit from 24/7.
"The very active role the duchess plays, both publicly and in private, is considerable and much appreciated by our staff, volunteers and of course the children, young people and families using our services."
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